Letters From The Ledge by Lynda Meyers Page B

day.
    Wrapped in the blanket, he fished the butt of a joint out of a coffee can he kept hidden behind a potted plant and lit it, hopping up on the ledge to watch the stars. One of her poems had burned itself into his memory. It was dated the day she died.
     
    I’m falling into you
    Into your waiting arms
    You’re all that I have left
    My toes have left the ledge
    A desperate cry of freedom
    Is all that I can breathe
    As I fall into you…
 
     
     

CHAPTER NINE
     
     
    “Hindsight. It’s like foresight, without a future.”
    - Life as a House
     
     
    "So, Paige–ever been to Switzerland?" Frank was two drinks into a two-martini lunch, and so far they’d only made it through the appetizers.
    "No. I’ve never traveled abroad."
    "Never? As in never left our borders?"
    "That’s right. I figured there’s a smattering of every nation and culture on earth right here in New York–why go looking for it?"
    Frank and Kevin both laughed. Frank was drinking his scotch neat, and he got friendlier as the meal wore on.
    Kevin was incredulous. "Do you even have a passport?"
    Paige nodded. "Actually I do. I was planning on studying abroad for a semester in college but never ended up going. I think they’re good for ten years though, right?"
    Frank set his glass down and licked his lips. "I think we need to make a trip over."
    Paige looked up and then looked at Kevin. "We?"
    "Yes, we–you and I.” His finger pointed back and forth between the two of them, leaving Kevin intentionally out of the equation. “We'll go over next week, check on some things, and I can introduce you around."
    "To Switzerland." Paige repeated.
    "Do I stutter?"
    Kevin gave her a warning look.
    She took a deep breath. "No, it’s just–"
    "My Bern office is headquarters for the European operations. They’ll be the most help in all this, because they have the paper records to back up what’s in the computers. My guess is that the answers are buried over there, and if my guess turns to gold, this could end up saving you a whole lot of time and me a whole lot of aggravation."
    Frank talked about Europe like it was dinner in Jersey. "With all due respect Mr. Evans-"
    "Call me Frank." He put his hand over the top of hers.
    She looked down at her hand. "With all due respect–Frank, I think I’m still going to need some time to dig out of the New York hole you’ve put me in before I can consider tackling a whole other office, much less another country." She politely pulled her hand out from under his and took a sip of her wine.
    "The holes are connected, remember?” He waved away her concerns, as if it was already settled. “We fly out next Thursday, so you’ll just have to interrupt the process here until we’re done with Bern. Believe me, it will be worth your time. Besides, I’ve had this trip planned for several months and frankly, it’s the best time for me to get away."
    "What if it’s not the best time for me to get away?"
    Kevin shot her a look that would’ve stopped a major league fastball.
    "Excuse me Ms. Hadley, but am I missing something? You’re looking at an all expenses paid trip to one of the most breathtaking countries in the free world. What’s the downside, if you don’t mind? Are you going to miss your boyfriend ?" His tone conveyed the perfect blend of chauvinism and condescension.
    "Could we possibly do an electronic transfer of records? That way Paige could compare the Bern records directly against those in the New York office." Kevin finally chimed in, and Paige was grateful for at least a little bit of backup.
    "Didn’t I just say they have all the paper records there?" Frank put both arms up on the table. "You know Kevin, I’m beginning to think I picked the wrong firm. Are we kindergarteners here? You have a job to do for me. And if I’m not mistaken, I told you up front some travel would be involved. Are you trying to pull out on me?"
    Paige let out a slow breath. Kevin had given her a great opportunity here to